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The Roman Empire (Imperium Rōmānum, ; Koine and Medieval Greek: Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, tr. Basileia tōn Rhōmaiōn; Impero romano) was the period of the ancient Roman civilization which began in 27 BC with the naming of Julius Caesar's nephew and adopted son, Augustus as the first emperor, ending the Roman Republic era. The empire controlled large areas around the Mediterranean Sea in Europe, North Africa, and West Asia. The city of Rome served as its capital until it was shifted to Constantinople by Constantine the Great in the 4th century AD. Large invasions by Germanic peoples and the Huns of Attila led to the decline of the Western Roman Empire, and, with the overthrow of Romulus Augustulus in 476 AD by Odoacer, the Western Roman Empire finally collapsed.

The empire's first two centuries were a period of peace and prosperity known as the Pax Romana ("Roman Peace"). However, civil wars and other struggles in the 3rd century caused widespread chaos, which lasted until the emperors Aurelian and Diocletian restored order and stability. Christians rose to power in the 4th century, during which time a system of dual rule was developed in the Greek East and Latin West. The Eastern Roman Empire, also known as the Byzantine Empire, continued until 1453 with the Fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Empire.

The institutions and culture of Rome have had a profound and lasting influence on the peoples of its former territory, particularly, those of Europe. The Latin alphabet is now the world's most widely used writing system. Latin is the mother tongue of the Romance languages. The spread of Christianity is attributable to its adoption as the official state religion. Roman philosophy and law are the foundation of modern legal doctrine. Roman art had a profound impact on the Italian Renaissance, and Roman architecture served as the basis for Neoclassical architecture. Rome's government would go on to influence the political development of later nations, such as the United States.